Read 1,597 reviews Write a review at Epinions.com

I've shopped Ritz Camera retail many times usually to buy a filter or part for my cameras. I've also purchased a Canon XT Rebel at a location in Chicago which was a $1,000+ item. I'm a professional photographer and own at least three DSLR Nikon and others so I am well versed in camera technology.

Based on my experiences with Ritz Camera I thought it would be an excellent move to change my order for the Nikon D3 at Adorama to Ritz Camera since Ritz had a special promotion. "Save 10% if you shop with us and pay using Paypal!"

I couldn't have been more wrong.

I jumped at the chance and was able to save at least $300.00 off my $5,000 purchase. This was a large purchase for me because I've never spent that much on a camera before. My invoice came in and I knew it would be on backorder. This was December 29th, 2007.

I really appreciated that Ritz Camera notified me every now and then that they had not forgot about my order. It was reassuring and something that I did not get from other vendors.

After a period of time Paypal authorization expired because Ritz wasn't able to locate a Nikon D3 to fulfill my order. I had transferred The $4734.00 to cover the cost of the camera (setting the money aside) since Ritz does not charge my Paypal until the item ships.

So I received an email from a Ritz Associate indicating that I needed to contact customer service, which is based in India.

They were able to tell me my name and my phone number but barely anything else. When I finally found someone that knew how to look up my order information the woman told me that the Paypal authorization expired and I'd need to provide a credit card number. I wasn't ok with that and this should have been red flag number one.

I asked if they would simply accept the Paypal amount since the money was waiting for them to receive and she insisted that wasn't possible and I'd need to either:

1. Provide my credit card number.
2. Cancel my order and re-order using Paypal.

If I cancel my order, I'd be placed on the very end of the waitlist for the camera so reluctantly I chose to provide my credit card number.

Weeks go by and finally I receive a shipping notice except the amount on the invoice listed shows $4,999!

They were not authorized to charge my card for $4,999. Basically they took away the discount I had received on the original order. When I contacted customer service I received nothing short of the run around and finally someone flatly stated that I should just let the camera get returned to the shipper and they would credit my account back in 7-10 business days.

I sent a couple emails indicating that I was very displeased with the level of service and indicated that I wouldn't be shopping with them again.

At some point, it wasn't about the money anymore and became more an issue about the principle of the matter.

No one at Ritz cared that they were losing a customer, $5,000, or that I'd be writing this article.

And Ritz? Well, they changed the promotion now to read, "5% off using Paypal, RESTRICTIONS APPLY especially to particular camera models!"

They failed to honor the agreement which is called BAIT AND SWITCH. They offered the product (I have invoice proof) at a specific price as a special promotion and then charged my card for the full amount without any notification at all.

So what does the ripped off customer do? He hires an attorney and writes an honest article all over town discussing his experience.

If you're wondering if I provided Ritz Camera to make things right, I did. I wrote customer service and provided my invoice number asking them to review but no one cared to contact me.

My overall experience with Ritz Camera is extremely poor and I would advise those who are looking to do business with them to think twice and without question do not provide them access to your credit card.

UPDATE:
The D3 sat at a PO BOX with a notice to pick up and was to be shipped back to Ritz Camera on Monday since it sat for at least two weeks. I did not pick it up because doing so would signify that I accepted the charge that Ritz Camera had processed on my credit card. Finally, on the very last day Ritz Camera called and notified me that I could pick up the camera and they would honor their original agreement.

Why did it take them two weeks to make this decision?

I asked friends and all of them suggested that since the Nikon D3 was a hot item, Ritz Camera may have felt that I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to just take the extra $500.00 in the shorts and accept the camera anyway. Since they realized that I hadn't picked up the camera and knew it was to be shipped back to them along with the bank reversing the charges - they made a last minute decision.

Since Monday it was due to be shipped back and I heard back from them 5pm on Friday. My only option was to visit the post office on a Saturday morning when I was already scheduled to be in a college class. Due to picking up the package - I was late to my class by at least two hours.

The fact Ritz Camera's customer service failed in this situation still doesn't sit well. Without a doubt, I won't be buying from them in the future based on this experience since I can't trust them to do the right thing.